Festus continued along the trail until he came to a creek. Stopping to allow Ruth to take a drink, the hair on the back of his neck rose as he heard a man's voice nearby.
Leaving Ruth by the creek, he drew his pistol, cocked it and then slowly made his way up the embankment toward where the voice had come from.
The soft glow of a campfire drew his eyes toward the man who had settled on a laid out bed roll but what caught his attention was Kitty.
Tied up and gaged, it was all he could do to stop himself from storming the camp and taking the man on the bed roll apart with his bare hands.
But Festus knew he had to take the time to get Kitty out of there so that she wouldn't be hurt in the attempt. Just lying low for the moment, he waited for the man to drift off to sleep before entering the camp.
Kitty watched as Hank slowly drifted in and out. Giving her the opportunity to run her hands up and down the large bolder behind her, the friction making the robes that bind her lose enough for her to get first one hand out and then the other out.
Watching Hanks breathing, she noticed that the man was asleep, slowly bringing her hands around in front of her, she undid the robe and then took off the gag.
Getting to her feet, she crept slowly around Hank, turning toward the woods, she started to run but a large strong foot swept out, knocking her off her feet.
"Just where do you think your going," Hank said pinning her to the ground.
Grabbing the robe, he quickly wound it around Kitty, but more tightly than he had before.
Just as he finished, Hank leaned back and started to laugh but stopped when he felt the cool iron of a gun at his temple.
"One more peep outa you and I'm a blow yer head off," Festus said taking a step back. "Put yer hands up and move away from Ms. Kitty there nice and easy like."
Hank lifted his hands slowly into the air and then started to get to his feet.
Lunging toward Festus suddenly, he caught him off guard and nocked him to the ground as Festus gun tumbled away.
As both the men went for the gun, Kitty watched helplessly as they fought in front of her.
Festus knew he couldn't let Hank get the upper hand or the gun, using all of his strength he pummeled the bigger man as the man punched and kicked Festus in return.
Rolling around on the ground, Festus noticed his gun not but a hands reach away, lunging for it, he grabbed a hold of the revolvers stock and then twisted around as Hank jumped on top of him and started to wrestle for control of the gun.
Kitty screamed as the gun suddenly went off and both men stopped moving. Festus took a deep breath, then kicked the dead man away from him as he got to his feet and stumbled over to where Kitty lay.
"Festus," she said as the hill man struggled to free her. "Are you hurt?"
She asked once she was free.
"Aw shucks Ms. Kitty," Festus said taking a seat on the hard ground. "The day a Haggen can't walk away from a fight is the day I need to turn in my badge."
Kitty started to smile but then she remembered Matt. "How's Matt," she asked helping the deputy to his feet.
"Don't rightly now," Festus replied sadly. "Doc hadn't told us a thing before I left!"
"Oh," Kitty replied sullenly.
"But don't you worry none Ms. Kitty," Festus said taking her arm. "You know ol Doc and you know Matthew. He be alright."
This time Kitty did smile as Festus led her toward Hanks horse. "If in you can ride, we could be back in Dodge by tonight."
"I can ride," Kitty said, "but what about you?"
"Don't you worry bout me," Festus replied with a wiry grin after seeing the concern on her face. "I made Matthew and Doc a promise that I was gonna bring ya back and that's a what I'm a fixin to do."
Doc checked his gold pocket watch for the time, the sun had been up for hours but as of yet there was still no sign of Kitty or Festus and Matt had yet to come around.
"Doc," Newly said stepping into the lounge where Matt lay. "Sam and the others are back!"
Doc smear as he headed for the door. "And Kitty and Festus," he asked as Newly shook his head.
"Sam said Festus told them to split up, he and Kitty haven't been seen since," Newly replied in whispered tones. "I've a good mind to go out there and look for them."
"No," the raspy voice strained with the effort of talking said from the table where Matt lay.
"Matt," Doc said stepping over to where the lawman was straining to sit up. "Don't you go movin now. I took that bullet out of you but that don't mean you can be getting up yet."
"Kitty's out there," he said painfully aware of the ache in his chest.
"And Festus will bring her home," Doc said evenly while pushing the lawman back down upon the table. "You just rest now!"
Matt nodded and then he relented as he laid back with a sigh and closed his eyes.
"What else did Sam have to say," Doc asked taking Newly out of the parlor.
"Sam said he told him to tell us that he would be back," Newly replied with a shy smile. "And made a promise on it."
Doc nodded as he swiped his mustache, afraid of becoming over come with emotion, he just turned and headed back into the parlor where the Marshal now peacefully slept.
At this point the best both of them could hope for, was that Festus kept his promise.